1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a communication apparatus, system and display method capable of handling viewer images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a camera is setup at a place attracting crowds such as an electronic bulletin board or the like in order to capture images of aspects in front of the bulletin board. Some proposals of such apparatus for analyzing and making use of the captured images have been reported.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-22918 proposes to provide an apparatus with a camera in order to capture an image, process the captured image, and show who and how many people are watching displayed information on the electronic bulletin board. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-105583 proposes to provide an apparatus having a display board for displaying advertisements, a camera for shooting a viewer, and attribute judgment means for judging a character attribute related to the viewer and analyzing character information. This proposal enables to make a quantitative judgment on the advertisement by accumulating the attribute judgment results related to the viewer of content.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2003-87725 proposes to provide an apparatus for recording both audio-visual information and static image information. When the static image information is displayed on multiple display devices, the information being displayed on all these display devices is recorded, and thus the reproduction of the content is controlled by using a reproduction list of the static image information corresponding to the audio-visual information. That is, this proposal enables to control the static images that are made of audio-visual information, a presentation, and the like, all together in the same dimension. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-187542 proposes to provide an apparatus for creating a scenario that synchronizes the sound of the presentation with a multi-media content to be used.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-22918 includes the apparatus that enables to show how many people or who are watching a video; however, there has the problem in that it is hard to know how a viewer is watching the information being displayed, for example, whether the viewer is seriously watching or with whom the viewer is talking while watching. As a result, new communication with a person who is watching the viewer will not be developed.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-105583 includes the apparatus that enables to show a reaction of the viewer of content; however, new communication resulted from the reaction of another viewer will not be developed. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2003-87725 includes the apparatus that enables to control audio-visual and static images all together in the same dimension; however, information on the viewer, who is watching and listening to the information on audio-visual and static images, cannot be obtained. As a result, new communication will not be developed.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-187542 includes the apparatus that shoots a person who delivers information such as a presentation; however, it is hard to know what of the information a person who receives the information has an interest in. As a result, there has the problem in that new communication resulted from the reaction of another viewer will not be developed.